Top 11 Ways to Find Your App Idea

Choosing an app idea can seem like a daunting task. Will it be useful? Is it unique? Will it make any money? The competition is fierce in the app market and finding your niche will take initiative and creativity.

Between Apple, Google Play and Amazon App Stores we are looking at over 1.5 million apps available at a wide range of prices. Billions of downloads later and the app market is still growing. Finding your app idea can be intimidating especially with so many out there, we have compiled a list of our Top 11 ideas to create an app. Why 11 you ask? Because Top 10’s are so 2011.

• Is the app useful or appealing to you the creator?As with creating anything, the idea should be appealing to the creator. Appealing and also something the creator understands or is willing to understand.

• Is there a need?Social Networking is the key to gathering information. Gather information beyond your friends list and really look at what people need and want. The best apps are those that make life easier and those that add a spark to life.

• Sketch out your ideasJust like writing a paper or beginning a project one should sit down and sketch out their design. Diagrams, bullets points, even doodles get the mental juices flowing and allow you to visualize your idea. Did you know Rollin King, during a dinner his lawyer, jotted down the names of three cities on a napkin and joined them with a triangle; this was the birth of Southwest Airlines…a doodle on a napkin.

• Who is the target for this app?Children, Techies, Moms, Commuters, Gamer’s, who are you trying to appeal to? Remember just with anything not to make it too broad and think with dollar signs. If you build it, they will come. Angry Birds appeals to children and adults alike, there are many dads downloading mommy apps. Find who your target is and appeal to them, don’t worry your idea can still catch the eye of others.

• Read BlogsBlogging is the new platform for people to voice their opinions and concerns. Read popular ones; obscure ones, even ones you may disagree with. Find out what the people want and need and possibly even contact said bloggers to pick their brain. Also reading blogs helps you see the trends and what is brewing beneath the surface.

• Ask kidsKids really do say the darndest things. Pick the brains of your children, and children of friends and family. Always be observant when out and especially around the holiday season. It’s amazing what can be understood from a child’s laughter or cry…and even a mother’s frustration or organization.

• Local or GlobalIs the app just for your city, is it for you’re a specific organization, or is it an app that appeals to the modern world?

• Observe habits of your friends and familyLook, & Listen. The holidays are coming up and you have an opportunity to bed their ear. After watching your aunt slave at the grocery store, wouldn’t it be great to ask her about an app that may make her grocery shopping experience better?

• Are there similar apps?Check the Android, Apple and Amazon markets. Just because you see apps similar to yours doesn’t mean you give up on your idea. See what those apps offer, what they don’t offer, how they are designed, and see how to make yours different and stand out.

• Research the technologyApps are more than meets the eye. When getting to the nitty gritty of creating you should have some idea of the technology aspect of creating an app. Even if you are collaborating with a tech savvy partner, learn the aspects of the tech side. Not every app works on every phone, unless it is made that way. Objective C for Apple Devices, Java for Android, Blackberry, and Web OS are some of the technologies used in app development. Cross platform apps can be made in the form of web applications by utilizing HTML5 and Java Script, with hardware features being the only limitation. Technology plays a key role in deciding the start and life of your app idea.

• Read reviews of current apps on the marketWhen you are researching apps, read the reviews below. Especially in the age of anonymity people are keener to give their honest and even brutal reviews. Learn form the triumphs and mistakes of other app creators.

Get your notebook and start sketching and don’t forget to have your eyes and ears open for great ideas and opportunities. The next great app can have your name written all over it.